Beginner

Suited for a wide range of uses, Level 1 Beginner telescopes are simple to operate and set up. Some initial assembly may be required. Very good optical and mechanical quality. Great for families, young people, and folks who don't want to mess with equipment but just want to take a look. Any of these scopes will show you countless lunar craters, Saturn's rings and a myriad of star clusters and nebulas! Referring to the manual is recommended.

With a name like TrailHead, one would expect something portable, yet ruggedly designed to perform reliably under challenging conditions. That's exactly what you get with the TrailHead WP Zoom Spotting Scopes from Orion. Rain or shine, these waterproof scopes are up to the task and promise to deliver excellent performance.

Made with rugged thermoplastic construction, the sturdy 85mm TrailHead spotting scope features a 20x to 60x magnification eyepiece to let you zoom in on the action wherever you go. Fully multi-coated optics throughout ensure sharp, high resolution images. With a near-focus distance of approximately 20 feet, even up-close targets can be viewed in detail. Other features include a retractable lens shade, internal glare threads, and quality BAK-4 prisms. The spotting scope body rotates for a number of flexible viewing positions, and the scope armoring has small "feet" that can be placed on a table or other flat surface, without the need for a mount.

The 85mm TrailHead spotting scope features a 45-degree angle eyepiece orientation for comfortable viewing and has an eye relief of 21mm at 20x and 18mm at 60x. A rugged view-through case with adjustable shoulder strap is included for convenient viewing on the go. Lens caps for the eyepiece and objective lens are included. Weighs just 3.9 lbs.

Warranty

Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for one year from date of purchase. This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. For complete warranty details contact us at 800-676-1343.

Warning

Please note this product was not designed or intended by the manufacturer for use by a child 12 years of age or younger.

User level

Level 1 Beginner - Suited for a wide range of uses, these telescopes are simple to operate and set up. Some initial assembly may be required. Very good optical and mechanical quality. Great for families, young people, and folks who don't want to mess with equipment but just want to take a look. Any of these scopes will show you countless lunar craters, Saturn's rings and a myriad of star clusters and nebulas! Referring to the manual is recommended.

Level 2 Intermediate - These scopes offer higher performance and more advanced features than Level 1: Beginner models. They typically take a bit longer to learn and need some set-up or adjustments. But anyone with the slightest technical bent will have no problem getting familiar with these models. Referring to the manual is recommended.

Level 3 Advanced - These scopes provide the best performance but may require more skill to master and appreciate. They have exceptionally fine optics and mechanics. Some are easy to use but are but on the large or heavy side. Some are intended for specialized uses. These scopes will appeal to the more technically inclined. Referring to the manual is highly recommended.

Level 4 Expert - Expert telescopes offer uncompromising optical and mechanical quality for the most demanding amateur astronomer. They may be technically involved or designed for specialized use, such as astrophotography or detailed deep sky observation. They carry a premium price, but are designed to provide the ultimate performance in the field. Referring to the manual is highly recommended.

Optical design

Reflector telescopes use a pair of large and small mirrors to direct incoming light to the eyepiece.
Refractor telescopes refract, or "bend" incoming light to a focus by means of an objective lens.
Cassegrain telescopes, such as Maksutov-Cassegrains, "fold" incoming light using two mirrors and a front "corrector" lens.

Magnification

Also commonly referred to as "power", magnification is a measure of how much closer an object appears when viewed through the instrument. For example, a 10x binocular will make an object appear 10-times closer than it would normally appear. An object positioned 100 yards away would appear as if it was just 10 yards away in a binocular with 10x magnification. The human eye is considered 1x magnification.

Optical diameter

For telescopes, the optical diameter (also known as aperture) is the size of a telescope's main light-collecting lens or primary mirror, measured in millimeters or inches. Telescopes with larger optical diameters collect more light, which leads to an increase in brightness and image resolution compared to smaller instruments.

For binoculars, the optical diameter (also known as objective lens diameter) is the size of each of the front-facing objective lenses of a binocular measured in millimeters. Binoculars with larger objective lenses collect more light, which increases image resolution and brightness. Binoculars with larger objective lenses are recommended for low light situations, and binoculars with at least 50mm or larger objective lenses are recommended for pleasing astronomical observations at night.

Field of view - angular

The field of view expressed as part of a 360-degree circle. Holding your pinky finger out at arms length is approximately 1-deg wide. To convert this to the linear measurement of "feet at a thousand yards", multiply by 52.5. For example, at 1000 yards distance, a 7-deg binocular will see a width of 367.5 feet (7 x 52.5)

Eye relief

The distance, measured in millimeters, between the observer's eye and the eyepiece lens in which the entire field of view remains visible. Eye relief varies with the optical design but generally increases with decreasing magnification. Long eye relief is advantageous for observers who wear glasses, as they don't have to put their eye directly on the eyepiece to see the entire field of view, nor do they have to remove their eyewear.

Exit pupil

The diameter of the circle of light exiting the binocular. Exit pupil is calculated by dividing the objective lens diameter by the binocular magnification. For example, a 10x50 binoculars has an exit pupil of 5mm (50/10=5). Knowing the exit pupil of a binocular can help determine the optimal binocular fro your needs. If a binocular exit pupil is larger than the dilation of the user's pupil, resolution is reduced since the maximum amount of light is not entering the eye. Typically under true dark adaptation a healthy human eye will dilate to approximately 7mm. This number can decrease with age and health factors.

Near focus

The minimal distance at which a binocular and/or spotting scopes can attain focus. Near focus is an important quality for bird watchers and wildlife devotees who want to get as close as possible to their quarry.

Coatings

Binocular lenses and prisms are often coated with anti-reflective material to minimize light loss as light travels through the multiple optical surfaces of a typical binocular. Coatings help maximize the amount of light transmitted through each glass surface of a binocular, so as much light as possible reaches the observer's eyes to provide a bright and sharp image.

Good lenses are at least "fully coated," with a single layer of magnesium fluoride coating applied to each air-to-glass lens surface. Multiple layers of coatings are even more effective; the term "multi-coated" means one or more air-to-glass lens surface has multiple coatings. "Fully multi-coated" optics are even better, meaning all lens surfaces have multiple layers of anti-reflective coatings applied for maximum light transmission and optimal image quality.

Lowest useful magnification

Lowest useful magnification is the power at which the exit pupil becomes 7mm in diameter. Powers below this can still be reached with the telescope to give wider fields of view, but the image no longer becomes brighter at a lower power. This is due to the fact that the exit pupil of the telescope (the beam of light exiting the eyepiece) is now larger than the average person's dark adapted pupil, and no more light can fit into the eye.

Highest useful magnification

The highest practical limit is different from the often used "highest theoretical magnification" specification. The "theoretical" limit generally is 50x the aperture of the scope in inches (2x the aperture in mm). So for example, an 80mm refractor is capable of 160x, and a 10" telescope is theoretically capable of 500x magnification.
But after approximately 300x, theory breaks down and real world problems take over. The atmosphere above us is constantly in motion, and it will distort the image seen through the telescope. This effect may not be noticeable at lower powers, but at higher powers the atmosphere will dramatically blur the object, reducing the quality of the image. On a good night (a night where the air above is steady and the stars aren't twinkling), the practical upper limit of a large telescope is 300x, even thought the theoretical limit may be much higher. This doesn't mean the scope will never be able to reach those higher "theoretical" powers - there will be that rare night where the atmosphere is perfectly still and the scope can be pushed past it's practical limit, but those nights will be few and far between.

Warranty

This warranty gives you specific legal rights. It is not intended to remove or restrict your other legal rights under applicable local consumer law; your state or national statutory consumer rights governing the sale of consumer goods remain fully applicable.

Orders received by 1pm Eastern Time for in-stock items ship the same business day. Orders received after 1pm will ship the next business day. When an item is not in-stock we will ship it as soon as it becomes available. Typically in-stock items will ship first and backordered items will follow as soon as they are available. You have the option in check out to request that your order ship complete, if you'd prefer.

How do I clean any of the optical lenses?
Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens cleaning fluid specifically designed for multi-coated optics can be used to clean the exposed lenses of your eyepieces or finder scope. Never use regular glass cleaner or cleaning fluid designed for eyeglasses. Before cleaning with fluid and tissue, blow any loose particles off the lens with a blower bulb or compressed air. Then apply some cleaning fluid to a tissue, never directly on the optics. Wipe the lens gently in a circular motion, then remove any excess fluid with a fresh lens tissue. Oily finger-prints and smudges may be removed using this method. Use caution; rubbing too hard may scratch the lens. On larger lenses, clean only a small area at a time, using a fresh lens tissue on each area. Never reuse tissues.

At Orion, we are committed to sharing our knowledge and passion for astronomy and astrophotography with the amateur astronomy community. Visit the Orion Community Center for in-depth information on telescopes, binoculars, and astrophotography. You can find astrophotography "how to" tips and share your best astronomy pictures here. Submit astronomy articles, events, and reviews, and even become a featured Orion customer!